CHINESEMYTHSANDLEGENDSZhaoShuang

HistorianshavedeterminedthattheChinesemythologybeganin12thcenturyB.C.(BirrellA.,2000).

ThemythsandthelegendswerepasseddownorallyforoverathousandyearsbeforebeingwritteninsomeearlybookssuchastheHuainanzi

and

theBookofMountainsandSeas

(DingWangdao,2008).★Sevenofthemostpopularmythicalstories

★

GivethereaderaglimpseofthelongandbrilliantlegacyofChinesemythologyDoyouknoweachreligionorculturehasitsownideasaboutthebeginningoftheuniverse?TheBeginningoftheUniverseTheCreation(ca.1896-1902)byJamesTissotPictureSource:/wiki/Creation_mythPanguCreatingtheWorld

ThereisanancientlegendinChinawhichsaidtheworldwasmadebyapersoncalledPangu.

PictureSource:/wiki/Panguding tian li di

頂天立地

Thegreatestheroistheonewhostoodbetweentheheavensandearth.

NüwaCreatingPeopleInChinesetraditionalmythology,thenaissanceisowingtoagoddessnamedNüwa.Shehadahumanbodyandasnaketail.

PictureSource:

NüwaPatchingUpSky

Shegatheredfive-coloredstonesandmeltedthemwhichsheusedtomendtheholesinthesky.PictureSource:/wiki/NvwaYiShootingDowntheSunsPictureSource:/wiki/HouyiYi,theGodofArchery,whowasarmedwithamagicbowandtenarrows(ZhangDaosheng,2011).Asilkembroideringwithsuns(intheright)fromaWeaternHanDynastytombatMawangdui.PictureSource:/wiki/Houyi#mediaviewer/File:Western_Han_Chinese_Silk.JPGChang’eFlyingtotheMoonYi’sgoddesswife,Chang’ehadtoliveinthecoldandlifelessMoonPalace.PictureSource:/wiki/Chang%27eTheMoon

AfavoritesubjectforliterarycreationManypoetsinancientChinacitedthemoonintheirpoemstoexpressChang’e’sloneliness.Mid-AutumnFestival

AtimeofrememberingcloserelativesandfriendsfarfromhomeandextendingbestwishestothemPictureSource:/wiki/Mid-Autumn_FestivalTheCowHerderandtheWeavingGirlTheChineseValentine'sDayisthe7thdayofthe7thlunarmonthintheChinesecalendar.Thereisabeautifullegendbehindthisfestival.

ItissaidthatitishardtofindamagpieonChineseValentine'sDayinChina,becauseallmagpiesflytotheheavenstocreatethebridgeforthecouple

(WangTianpeng,2006).

PictureSource:/wiki/Qixi_Festival#mediaviewer/File:Niulang_and_Zhinv_(Long_Corridor).JPGTheButterflyLoversPictureSource:

/

OrientalRomeoandJuliet

TheButterflyLoversisaChineselegendaboutatragiclovestoryinvolvingpairoflovers,LiangShanboandZhuYingtai.ThelovestoryiswellknownthroughoutChinaastheRomeoandJulietintheWest.TheLoveStoryofLiang-ZhuStudytogether18Li(9km,roughly6miles)

seeingoffMeetinginthechamberThedeathofLiangTransformedintobutterflyTheCultureofLiang-ZhuPictureSource:/wiki/The_Love_Eterne#mediaviewer/File:TheLoveEterne.jpgPictureSource:/ent/2004-01/15/content_1277558.htm

AnimatedCartoonStageplaysandoperasFilmsPictureSource:/wiki/Butterfly_Lovers_(2007_TV_series)#mediaviewer/File:Butterfly_Lovers_(2007_TV_series).jpgThecultureofLiang-ZhuAllkindsofartformsballads,novels,filmsdifferenttypesofregionaloperasthemostpopularone:theviolinconcerto“Liang-Zhu”PictureSource:

Thebest-knownmodernChineseorchestralpieceabroadandinChina

ThePilgrimagetothewest

PictureSource:/wiki/Pilgrimage_to_the_WestThePilgrimagetothewestFourGreatClassicalNovels

RomanceoftheThreeKingdoms三國演義

DreamoftheRedChamber紅樓夢

WaterMargin水滸

ThePilgrimagetothewest

西游記Originallypublishedinthe1590sduringtheMingDynasty,itsauthorwasWuCheng'en.

PictureSource:

/wiki/Pilgrimage_to_the_West#mediaviewer/File:Evl53201b_pic.jpg

DuringtheTangDynasty(A.D.618–906),SanzangtookapilgrimagetoIndiawhichlastedseventeenyears.PictureSource:http:///wiki/Xuan_Zang#mediaviewer/File:Xuanzang_w.jpgPictureSource:/wiki/Journey_to_the_West_(1986_TV_series)TheMonkandHisThreeDisciplesSangzangorMasterXuanzang

Hewashelplessindefendinghimself,buthispowerfuldisciplesaidedandprotectedhimonhisjourney.PictureSource:/wiki/Xuan_Zang#mediaviewer/File:Xuanzang_w.jpgTheHerooftheFantasy

Monkey★bornfromastoneegg★braveandmischievous★giftedwithnotonlytheintelligenceandanunrulynatureofamonkeybutalsoextraordinarypowersasteel-hardbodyandfierygoldeneyestravelvastdistancesinasingleleapthe72methodsoftransformationhisprimaryweaponPictureSource:/show/3/24/e1230b09ce50474c.htmlZhuBajie(greedyPig)

ZhuBajieischaracterizedbyhisinsatiableappetitesandisconstantlylookingforawayoutofhisduties.

PictureSource:/wiki/Zhu_Bajie

ShaWujing(FriarSand)

Sha

Wujingisaquietbutgenerallydependablecharacteranddefender.PictureSource:

/wiki/Sha_WujingTheopeningchaptersrecounttheearlierexploitsofMonkeyandhisrebellionagainstHeaven.Consistingof100chapters

WethenlearnhowSanZangbecameamonkandwassentouttobringbacktheBuddhistscriptures.Themainstory,thejourney,describeshowtheydefeateddemonsandmonstersincludingsuchsupernaturalbeingsascowdemon,spiderbeastandalivingskeletonalongtheway.Finally,aftertheyovercamemanydangers,theyarrivedattheirdestinationandfoundtheSutra.